Heavy rains bring respite from gruelling heat in Delhi-NCR, orange alert issued; flights hit at Delhi airport
The weather department had earlier forecasted light rainfall and hailstorms in Delhi-NCR on Thursday evening. This weather is expected to continue till Saturday, but will change from Sunday.
Light rainfall hit parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday evening, giving a respite to people from the gruelling heat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now issued an orange alert for Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas, forecasting moderate to severe thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and isolated hailstorms in several parts of the region.
"Red NowcastWarning... Intense thunderstorm activity over several parts of South Haryana, adjoining Delhi & entire NCR likely to get affected due to strong winds reaching up to 80 kmph accompanied with hail and duststorm," it posted on X.
Additionally, the weather department expected light to moderate rain in the above-mentioned regions. The intensity of the storm will likely increase on Friday and will continue till Saturday. However, this system will likely move toward Gujarat from Saturday evening or Sunday.
"Thunderstorm activity has already begun over northern parts of Rajasthan and is expected to spread to Delhi by evening and continue through the night," Skymet's Mahesh Palawat told news agency PTI.
"The current spell of pre-monsoon rains is likely to be stronger than the pre-monsoon showers witnessed in Delhi earlier this month and in April, leading to widespread rainfall activity across the city," he added.
Flights hit at Delhi airport
Delhi Airport has issued a weather advisory due to thunderstorms and adverse weather conditions in the national capital, warning that some flights may be affected.
The airport said its ground teams are working closely with all stakeholders to ensure smooth passenger movement and minimise disruptions. Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.
Travellers have also been urged to consider alternative transport options, including the Delhi Metro, while heading to the airport to avoid possible delays caused by bad weather and traffic congestion.
What's causing the sudden weather change in Delhi-NCR?
According to the IMD, this weather change has been caused by a western disturbance over the hills, an induced cyclonic circulation over Rajasthan and its surrounding areas. Apart from this, the humid winds from the Bay of Bengal, which have massively increased the humidity in the region, is another reason for a change in the weather system.
Delhi has been dealing with scorching heat from the past few days and the rain is likely to provide a breather to the people in the national capital region. As per the weather department, the maximum temperature in Delhi was 43 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Besides, the minimum temperature was 28.4 degrees Celsius, which was 1.8 notches more than the season's normal.
Meanwhile, the air quality index (AQI) settled in the 'moderate' category at 199 on Thursday in Delhi-NCR, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
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